


Milk

by TheOtherCourse (kanevixen)



Series: Tom and Abigail Series [56]
Category: Actor RPF, Benedict Cumberbatch - Fandom, British Actor RPF, Real Person Fiction, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Arguing, Banter, Best Friends, British Character, British Female Character, F/M, Fluff, Humor, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 03:44:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7997374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanevixen/pseuds/TheOtherCourse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for a 100 drabble challenge on tumblr, based on a single word, MILK.</p><p>Tom Hiddleston's girlfriend, Abigail, doesn't get along with his best friend, Benedict Cumberbatch. During their feud, Benedict and Abby are cast as costars and have to learn how to get along. Can Tom find a way for these two to mend fences?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Milk

**Author's Note:**

> **Milk _  
_**

_‘Babe, I think everything will be alright here. Love you! – Abby xoxo’_

The incoming text didn’t sound again for an hour. I was feeling encouraged that she was in such good spirits after her anxious chatter for hours the previous night. Dread, agitation, concern, and apprehension were the topics of her incessant prattling over dinner and tea. She was impossibly cute in her mania and raving. My best mate had become an obsession for her, and she wouldn’t let it go.

After their first stormy meeting, I thought Benedict and Abigail moved on from the hostility. But it came back with a vengeance the second time they’d come in contact at the Old Vic. I tried to keep their associations at a minimum since they weren’t getting on and the antagonism became more pronounced. That was the plan until they were cast in the same production as costars, both of their names on the marquis.

Stubborn as my girl was, she wanted to quit straight away, then turn tail and run, not accept this golden opportunity to get her name in headlines. I damn near bargained with the devil himself, bribed Abby with promises of daily gifts, and with a stroke of luck from God above convinced her that she put her personal feelings aside for the sake of her career. This was an excellent chance to get some exposure starring beside Ben and have his name on her CV. I wouldn’t let her give it up over this petty squabble, a squabble with no basis. One month of rehearsal plus one month of performances while Ben was between seasons of Sherlock and his movies.

The newly arrived text read: _‘I was wrong. He’s the anti-Christ. – Abby xoxo’_

I couldn’t help but smile at her sudden change of heart when it came to Ben. I knew my friend knew how to push her buttons and incite a very excitable reaction. I responded with a reasonable and calming response: _‘It’s not that bad. Don’t let him get to you. Love you, my beautiful girl – T xx’_

I went back to reviewing some of the proposals Luke had given me the day before. Only ten minutes later, another message came through from Abby. _‘How do you deal with that EGO?! He tells me one more time how to do my job, you won’t have a best friend anymore. – Abby xoxo’_

I shook my head at the device in my hand, picturing her exasperated expression, her cheeks inflamed with pink swatches of irritation and raised ire. I’d been the object of her anger too many times, both deliberately and unintentionally. ‘You catch more bees with honey, love. Try thanking him for the suggestion and ignore it. – T xx’

_‘Shove it, Hiddleston. You’re now on my shit list too. – Abby xoxo’_

I laughed out loud and put my iPhone aside, knowing this wasn’t the end of her tirade. She’d send more messages to air her frustration.

About an hour later, the phone sounded, only this time it was from Ben. _‘She’s a passionate little thing, isn’t she? – BC’_

_‘Ben, I’m begging you to go easy on her. I have to deal with the aftermath. – TH’_

_‘Thomas, this is too much fun. I think she may explode. – BC’_

_‘Tread lightly. I’ll give her ammo. If she gets anymore riled up, I share the story of the pub and the barmaid called Ralph. – TH’_

_‘Blackmail is so unbecoming on you, darling… - BC’_

My mobile was silent for quite a bit after that, mollified Ben’s need to nettle with Abby for a reaction. At the half way mark of their six hour rehearsal, I sent a message to Abby to check on her. _‘Everything going smoothly, baby? Miss you, see you soon – T xx’_

_‘He’s behaving for the mo, but I think he’s lulling me into a false sense of security. Will you collect me after rehearsal? – Abby xoxo’_

_‘I’ll be there – T xx’_

Another silent hour passed without a messaged from either one of them, and I was beginning to feel that maybe they could work together. Of course, as soon as I started to breathe easier, I got another text. _‘Bring a bobby! – Abby xoxo’_

_‘Why? – T xx’_

_‘I will kill him and I’ll have to go to prison because it’ll be violent. – Abby xoxo’_

_‘Don’t overreact. Don’t give him the satisfaction. He does it just to get a rise out of you. – T xx’_

_‘No killing then? – Abby xoxo’_

_‘No, I need my Abigail. If he misbehaves, just mention Dover. – T xx’_

_‘What does that mean? – Abby xoxo’_

_‘It’s better that you don’t know, trust me. – T xx’_

_Right before I was set to leave to fetch her, my phone sounded again. ‘MAKE HIM STOP! – Abby xoxo’_

To put a stop to the madness, I sent a quick message off to Ben: _‘What did you say now? – TH’_

_‘Nothing. I’m behaving. – BC’_

I huffed out a sigh and tried through Abby, _‘What did he do, love? – T xx’_

_‘He looked at me funny. I hate him. He’s not nice. – Abby xoxo’_

I couldn’t help but laugh again. I loved Abby’s spirit, her excitable nature, and I knew that most of what she thought Ben was doing was her focusing on the wrong thing. _‘Baby, we’ll talk when I get there. I’m on my way to fetch you. Don’t do anything rash. – T xx’_

_‘Are you taking care of him or am I? – Abby xoxo’_

_‘I’ll set him straight. – T xx’_ I sent it just to appease her and get her focused on my arrival than this conflict that she had going with Ben.

*

“So, tell me how the torture began?” I had Abby securely in the car’s passenger away from Ben and I could try to reason with her.

“The man’s a menace!” she exclaimed tiredly. Being in Ben’s presence had stressed her, but having to deal with his attitude towards her was wearing her down. She collapsed against the seat with a sizable sigh.

I wrapped my hand around hers, interlocked fingers and brought her hand to my lips for a kiss. “Tell me what he did and I’ll set him right.”

“He doesn’t like me, Tom. He just doesn’t. He doesn’t like that we’re seeing each other. He doesn’t like that you put me before him sometimes.”

“What did he do to you?” I navigated my car into traffic, keeping my concentration trained on the road, but being supportive of her. “What made you call him the anti-Christ?”

“The ponce offered me a flavored tea. He’s not a true Englishman! Certainly not a polite one,” she added slyly.

I smiled at her over the center console, squeezing her hand with undying affection. “You argued over tea?”

Exasperated, she objected indignantly, “Not just tea. He’s got the ego the size of Africa. How does he fit in England? He does realize that I might have a slice of talent, right? I did land this role without his help!”

“Benedict knows that, baby, I’m sure of it.”

“Then make him stop spewing his education nonsense.”

“We’ve had similar backgrounds.”

“Babe, I know you know everything. I’ve come to terms with that, that you are smarter than me, but you aren’t obnoxious about it.”

“Abigail…”

She cut me off before I could properly oppose her dig at herself. She possessed some many brilliant qualities that I didn’t. She was instinctive, reactive, and a natural actress. She didn’t need to rely on any kind of education or technique, she was genuine. “It’s okay, Tom. We have different backgrounds, you and me, Benedict and me.”

“So the threat of homicide, what prompted that?”

“Milk,” she said simply, with a bit of venom.

“Milk?”

“He made me a cup of tea, a regular Typhoo, but put the milk in the mug first.”

I gasped for her benefit, knowing she preferred her tea with the sugar in first, the hot water then milk. She could tell the difference in the taste of the tea if someone messed with the sequence. Her palate should be studied, she was that good. “He didn’t!”

“He did, and then tried to pass it on to me!”

“I’ll talk to him, Abby. I’ll set him straight!”


End file.
